Sunday, January 18, 2009

An Improvised Recipe

When I was a kid, I used to really like poached eggs served on toast. It was always so wonderful to cut into the egg and have the liquid yolk burst out and soak a butter slathered piece of toasted bread.

Then, in college, I discovered Eggs Benedict, complete with spring asparagus shoots and Canadian bacon. Hollandaise sauce became a mead of sorts.

After college, that KIPLog guy, who happens to be a chef trained food dude taught me one Easter how to actually make a Hollandaise sauce. The experiment failed, but I at least learned the fundamentals.

Since then, I've availed myself of using store-bought Hollandaise mix-kits whenever I've had a Hollandaise hankerin'. Sure, it's not as luscious as the real thing (but I still use Hellmann's when I want to mayo-up a sandwich because I, as a cook, to quote the outgoing President, have misunderestimated the fine art of emulsion.

Short story getting longer, make an occasional Eggs benedict for Mouse and I on some certain Sundays (or an off-chance Saturday). Ursa Minor still doesn't appreciate the wonder of liquid egg yolk as of yet, so he has yet to partake in the glory of it.

Today, though, I made something new.

Ingredients:

6 patties of Mr Dee's Hash Brown Potato Patties

One can of Spam

Two packets of Knorr Hollandaise sauce (and whatever it says on the pouch to add)

6 eggs.

First step: Begin preparing the Hollandaise sauce per the directions, adding a bit more butter if you would like.

Second step: Begin to brown the hash brown patties in one pan and slices of Spam in another pan.

Third step: Set a pot of water on to boil so as to poach some eggs.

Fourth step: Once the hash brown patties and the spam are adequately browned and the Hollandaise sauce is nicely thickened and the egg-poaching water is at a roiling boil, begin to poach eggs.

The set-up for this dish is relatively simple:

A slab of hash browns, fully browned, goes on the plate. On top of that, a slice or two of the sizzling Spam. Next, ladle on a jiggling poached egg. Then pour on a ladle or so of the Hollandaise.

Voila.

A heart-attack just waiting to happen.

Bon Appetite-o.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Vacation...

Summer's a long time away. Sure, we had a thaw, but this winter's only just begun. And what better time than the bitter cold of winter to prepare for the days of summer?

In other words, it's my turn to choose where Mouse and I will go for vacation this summer.

I took a look at a map of the 48 states and thought long an hard on this one. I went for a warm weather clime.

Austin, TX it will be.

Any suggestions are warmly welcomed.
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